Caminito Del Rey – Hiking Track – Andalusia, Spain

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Being from Austria, hiking always was somehow part of my outdoor adventures I started from the early age on. When I traveled from Portugal to Spain I looked up some interesting things to do close to Malaga – and found the Caminito del Rey. I fell in love with the views and decided: I NEED TO DO THIS! In this blogpost, you´ll find everything you need for a day to escape the summer heat of southern Spain’s cities. So off you go and enjoy the view 😉

So what is the Caminito Del Rey?

The Caminito del Rey is an old track in the midst of the South of Spain, close to Malaga. The English translation of the track is “the Kings Pathway”. It was known as the world’s most dangerous walkway until in 2015 it was undertaken a huge renovation. Still, you can see the old walkway underneath the new one, like here:

Book a ticket in advance (if possible)

It is said, that you have to book a ticket for the trail in advance. The reason for this is, that there are only a certain amount of people allowed on the track at one time. This is why there are time slots you can choose from when booking the ticket. Personally, I would recommend you to book the ticket online in advance, especially if you are going in high season, and you will be fine. Nevertheless, I met a girl who did not have the ticket and it wasn´t a problem at all to buy one on the spot and enter the track then. The booking page is in Spanish, but it is super easy to understand 🙂 The price of the ticket depends on the season but is 18,- Euro in summer. As it is a National Park Entrance Fee I think this is pretty fair.

Note that the track is closed on Sundays. Here are the opening times for the rest of the year:

1 April to 30 October: 10.00 to 17.00
1 November to 31 March: 10.00 to 14.00
Closed 24, 25, 31 December and 1 January.

What to wear and what to take with you

good shoes (sports shoes are good enough though)

a shirt

something warm to wear on top

shorts

enough water and snacks for the whole day. I had 2 fruits and 2 Baguette with cheese

your Camera

How to get there

On the web page, where you book the trail, you can also already book the ticket for the bus. This bus brings you from the train station to the start of the trail. However, you can also pay the driver on the spot. The Ticket is only 1,55 Euro. The easiest way to get there is to take the train from Malaga to the station El Chorro Train Sation in Álora. There you take the bus, that leaves you out at a little Kiosk.

If you arrive by car, I would recommend to leave the car at the start of the track and take the bus back there once you finished the trail. Because then you can go for another swim … which leads me to my personal TIP: Before you head to the start of the trail cross the road where the bus left you and walk down to this beautiful view (where you will need your Bikini/Boardshort)

Before you enter the National Park you have to walk for 1,5 km from the spot where the bus left you. But don’t stress yourself, because although you have a certain time on your ticket, they will leave you in after some waiting at the point anyway. So enjoy the first views of this beautiful nature.

Entering the national park you have the last opportunity to use an “official toilet”. Then you get into the line and after checking your ticket you will be handed over a helmet, which is obligatory to wear during the whole track. After a short introduction in English or Spanish (whatever you prefer) you are ready to go!

It is possible to book a guided tour, which I did not do, so nothing about that from my side 😉 However, the track is pretty easy and does not come any close to “the most dangerous hike in the world”. It is actually a pretty nice and easy walk, but see yourself:

At the end of the trail, when waiting for your train back, you can go for another swim, this time in the river, which is super refreshing and an absolute must do! Thanks Gino for sharing that experience with me and taking some pictures of me. It was a blast. Hope to see you again one day! Have fun in Europe!